Air conditioning apparatus



March 18', 1941. w RAY 2,235,116

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15. 1939 2 SheetsSheet' 1 1 DPan/5e fr- 6 i H H Gttorncg Juncntor; v

w. A. RAY Am'counrrrou rm APPARATUS March 18, 1941. 2,235,116

Filed Nov. 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Eur 3nventor;

Way/w 4. EA),

1 Other objects and advantages or the invention A valve port member 31,having a port 38 and Patented Mar. 18, 1941 I I UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 2,235,116 Am connrnomno .srranarus William A. Ray, Glendale,Calif. Application November 15, 1939, Serial No. 304,456 8 Claims. (Cl.261-25) My present invention relates to air conditionand drain bygravity through the excelsior coning apparatus and more particularly tothat tained therein into the reservoir it where it type of apparatuswhich is employed in air conaccumulates, as a secondary supply 23, forrecirditioners commonly known as Desert coolers. culation through saidinclosure.

A main object of my invention is the pro- The valve and aspiratorassembly i3, shown in 5 a vision of apparatus for filtering, humidlfyingdetail in Fig. 3, comprises a casing 24 provided and cooling air andwhich includes a frame! with valve means, electrically operable to openlike inclosure packed with moisture retaining or closed positions, andgenerally indicated by material through which the air is circulated. thenumeral 25, regulating valve means, genermeans for providing water froma primary supally indicated at 26, for controlling the pressure 10 plyto'th'e inclosure, and means for recirculating ot the water passing tovalve 25, and aspiratlng the unevaporated water draining through thein-- means, generally indicated at 21, and operated closure along withthe water from the primary by water'flow through said casing. supply.The valve means 25 comprises a plunger 28, it A further object ofmyinvention is the prooperable by a solenoid device 29 to raised posi-1i5 7 vision of means ,ifor recirculating water through tion in contactwith stop button 30, and operaan air moistening device and whichcomprises tivcly connected by links 3| and 32 to a valve an aspiratoroperated by water flowing from a member 33, which is sliclable in asupporting primary supply to the device, member 34 secured in the outletof said casing. 20 A still further object resides in the provision Thelink I2 is pivotally supported on said mem- 20 of means for regulatingthe supply or primary ber 34 and has a notch 35 cooperating with a andrecirculated water to an air moistening dep 3 p d d on the stem o s d ve em er. vice in accordance with the rate of evaporation This valveoperator is the subject of Patent No. of the water in the device,2,052,246, granted to me on August 25, 1936.

will be found in the description, the drawings and a es r c ed Ou O fi 31S threadedli' the appended claims. ceived in the member 34. A spring innormally For complete understanding of the invention, h the Valve memberto (11086 h P r n reference may be had to the following detailed t P 813 t lowered P m description and accompanying drawings wherein: Aspirins means i provi ed by a Venturi tube 3 a Figure 1 is a side elevationof apparatus emmember 42 cooperating with the orifice 39. When bodyingmyinvention, partly in section, and, a. the valve member 33 is inv openposition, water diagram or an electrical control circuit thereior; flowsthrough op nin 4 in m m r V v Figure 2 is an end elevation of theapparatus p rt 38. orifice 39 and passageway r a in shown in Fig. 1; apartial, vacuum in chamber 45 and drawing 3 Figure 3 is an enlargedsectional vi w of the water from the reservoir l5 through the openingscontrol valve and aspirator shown in Fig. l; and fflrmed n member 42 andr n m n i Figure 4 is a diagram or a modified control alon w h the Waterf m he rifice 3 I circuit. The pressure regulating valve means 26 com- 4In the drawings, the numeral ll d te a, prises a valve member 41,cooperable with a port conduit connecting a valve and aspirator assem-4| provided in a partition 49 separating the inbly 13 to a conventional,or primary, supply or let of the assembly from the central chamber 50,water under pressure. The assembly II is seand biased toward p n p itionby a sprin 4| cured by a flange II in an opening f rm d in compressedbetween a valve cap 5l-and a head an end wall of a trough-like reservoirIi. Sup- I? p v d d n t upper n p rt on f valve A ported above saidreservoir is a frame-like memm pp r y t c i -24 is e bracket bar orinclosure [8 having open upper and lower 54 o th upper end Portion ofwhich is P ly ends and perforate frontand back walls or wire ur a a 5 hv a t s d portion screen 11 and containing a filling or moisture l6normally in a ut n r at n w th the valve o retaining material It, suchas excelsior. v stem ead 2- di st ys ur t the other Positioned abovesaid inclosure and connected end portion of said arm, by a rod 51, is afloat 58. to the outlet of said valve and aspirator assem- Thethrottling or regulatin valve 26 is not bly l3b'y conduits I! and 20, isa water disintended to completely shut-oft the supply of tributing pipe2! having openings 22 through water and accordingly 9, portion of thestem .53 so which water can pass to the top of said inclosure aisprovided with threads with which an adjusting nut II and a locknut'lfl cooperate. The nut H,

by engagement with the cap 5!, limits the movement of the valve member41 toward closed position.

Means for circulating air through the inclosure I6 is provided by anelectrically driven fan 59. Connections for a source or power for theoperation of said fan and the valve 25 are indicated by the legend. Amanually operated switch 09,

having Ofl," "Circulate" and 0001" positions,- -controls the operationof the air conditioning apparatus. In the "Off" position of said switch,power supply to the fan and to the valve 25 is interrupted, withresultant stoppage of both water and air circulation.

In the circulate position, under normal conditions the fan only isenergized and dry air is forced through the filtering medium in theinclosure.

In the Cool position of the switch, both the fan and the valve areconnected in parallel to the power and consequently the valve 25 opens,permitting water to flow to the inclosure l8 through which it drains bygravity into the reservoir and from which it is recirculated through theinclosure by the aspi-rator along with water from the primary supply.

The level of the water in the reservoir is normally maintained withinrelatively narrow limits by the float-operated pressure-regulating valve26 which regulatesgthe supply of primary and recirculated water to theinclosure in response to change in the level of the water caused byvariation of evaporation rate in the inclosure. A relatively small fiowof primary water through the aspirator suffices for recirculation of alarge amount of water from the reservoir and so normally substantiallyall of the primary water is consumed by evaporation. Variation in theamount of primary water supplied is efi'ected by variation in thepressure of the water at the orifice 39 produced by the float-operatedvalve. If

the humidity of the atmosphere becomes relatively high, reducedevaporation from the inclosure may permit the reservoir to fill andaccordingly an overflow drain 64 is provided.

In cool weather, circulation only 01' dry air is normally required forcomfort. However, to

' guard against excessive dryness of the air then circulated by theapparatus, a humidostat 8| may be connected to one terminal wire of thevalve solenoid 29 and to the "Circulate contact of the switch; theswitch,in its circulate position, thusconnecting the valve to the Powerin series with the humidostat. In response to an abnormally drycondition of the air, the humidostat closes a switch to complete thiscircuit, with the result that the valve 25 is opened, permitting waterto pass through the inclosure to humidity the air circulatingtherethrough. It will be noted that, in the Cool position of the switch,the valve is open continuously and is not under the control ofthehumidostat.

In the modified control circuit of Fig. 4, a differential thermostat'isshown connected in series with the valve. This circuit is in otherrespects identical with that of Fig. 1. The diflerential thermostatcomprises a circuit-controlling thermostat 62 responsive to indoortemperature, modulated in its action by a device 83 positioned outdoorsand responsive to the temperature there,

air, or oi cooling it too far below the temperature existing outdoors.With the apparatus connected as shown in Fig. 4, when the switch is in"Circulate position, the humidostat 6| and the thermostat 52 are inseries, so that the opening of either one will efl'ect closure of valve25; and when the switch is in "Cool position, the thermostat alonecontrols the valve 25.

It is to be understood that the specific embodimerit of my inventionwhich I have shown and described is for the purpose of illustration onlyand that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit ofmy invention. My in-' vention, therefore, is to be limited only by thetion, an air moi tenin member, a conduit connecting said member with aprimary supply of water, a reservoir for receiving unevaporated waterdraining from said member, aspirating means in said conduit and operatedby water flow therethrough and in communication with said reservoir fortransmitting water therefrom to said member along with the water fromsaid primary supply, and means for circulatingair with respect to saidmember.

3. In an air conditioning system, in combination, an air moisteningmember, a conduit connecting said member with a primary supply of water,a reservoir for receiving u evaporated water draining from said member,aspirating means in said conduit and operated by water fiow therethroughand in communication with said reservoir for transmitting watertherefrom to said member along with the water from said primary supply,valve means connected in said conduit ahead 01' said aspirating meansand responsive to the level of the water in said reservoir forcontrolling the pressure of the water supplied to said aspirating means,and means for circulating air with respect to said member.

4. In an air conditioning system, in combination, an air filtering andmoistening device comprising a perforate frame-like inclosure containingexcelsior or the like, a conduit connecting the top of said inclosurewith a primary-supply 01' water, a reservoir for receiving waterdraining by gravity through said inclosure and through which a portionoi! said conduit extends, and aspirating means in said portion of saidconduit and operated by water flow therethrough for transmitting waterfrom said reservoir to said inclosure along with the water from saidprimary supply.

5. In an air conditioning system, in combination, an air filtering andmoisten'ing device comprising a perforate name-like inclosure containingexcelsior or the like, a conduit connecting the top of said inclosurewith a primary supply of water, a reservoir for receiving water drainingby gravity through said inclosure and through which a portion 01' saidconduit extends, aspirating means in said portion of said conduit andoperated bywater flow therethrough-i'or transmitting water from saidreservoir to said inclosure along with the water from said primarysupply, and means for circulating air through said inclosure.

6. In an air conditioning system, in combination, on air filtering andmoistening device comprising a perforate frame-like inclosure contain--ing excelsior or the like, a conduit connecting the top or saidinolosure with a primary supply oi water, a reservoir for receivingwater draining lay gravity through said inclosure and through which aportion of said conduit extends, aspirating means in said portion ofsaid conduit and operated by water now therethrough for transmittingwater rrom said reservoir to said inclosu're along with the water fromsaid primarysupply, valve means connected in said conduit ahead oi saidaspiratlng means and responsive to the level or the water in saidreservoir for controllina the pressure of the water supplied to said a.meanaand means for circulating air through said inclosure.

V. In an air conditioning system, in combination, a trough-likereceptacle, a valve casing mounted in a wall or said receptacle andhaving an inlet and an outlet and means controlling fluid flowtherebetween, means connecting said inlet with a primary supply oi.watenan air niterlng. and mcistening device mounted above saidreceptacle and comprising a petrol-ate frame-like inclosure containingeuelsior or the like through whi h wa er 7 n w into sa d eceptacle, aconduit connecting the outlet of said valve casing with the top oi. saidinclosure and having a portion'wi-thin sald receptacl, aspirating meansin said portion and operated by water flow therethrough iortransmittingwater from said receptacle to said inclosure along with the water fromsaid primary'supply, and a tan for circulating air through saidinclosure. a

8. In/an air conditioning system. in combination, a trough-likereceptacle, a valve casing 10 mounted in a wallol said receptacle andhaving 7 an inlet and an outlet and means controlling fluid flowtherebetween, means connecting said inlet with a primary supply orwater, an air iiitering and moistening device mounted above said 15receptacle and comprising-a perforate frame-like inclosure containingexcelsior or the like through which water can drain by gravity into saidrec'eptacle. a conduit connecting the outlet or said .valve casing withthe top of said inclosure and 20 RAY,

